We did not confine ourselves to Vercelli during the spring school. On Tuesday, our steps carried us southward to Pavia, where the solemn stones of the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore rose before us. Unlike monuments well-documented online, this church keeps its treasures quietly within. Much of what follows was not drawn from books or articles, but from the living voice of Marco, our guide, who unveiled stories and details otherwise hidden to passing eyes.
Lombard Romanesque ( 568 – 774 AD )
The earliest phase of Romanesque architecture, often termed First Romanesque or Lombard Romanesque, emerged in northern Italy, parts of France, and the Iberian Peninsula during the 10th and 11th centuries. Characterized by its thick masonry walls, lack of elaborate sculptural decoration, and the rhythmic use of Lombard bands (decorative blind arches), this style contrasts with the more refined Romanesque forms that developed later. First Romanesque buildings typically employed roughly cut stonework, small, narrow windows, and unvaulted wooden roofs supported by simple truss, tie-beam, or king-post systems.
Although stone or brick vaults were experimented with during this period, their forms remained relatively rudimentary. These early structural solutions laid the groundwork for later innovations, eventually leading to the development of the pointed ribbed vaults that became defining features of Gothic architecture.
Brief history of San Michele Maggiore Church
662–671: The church was built at the desire of King Grimoald, dedicated to St. Michael, on the site of the Lombard Palace chapel.
1004: Destroyed by fire; only the lower part of the bell tower remains.
Early 11th c.–1130: Reconstruction.
1155: Frederick Barbarossa was crowned with the Iron Crown of the King of Italy in the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore in Pavia. As Holy Roman Emperor, he received this symbolic coronation at the church.
1489: Redesign of the vault by master architect Agostino de Candia, changing two grossly squared groin-vaulted spans into four rectangular spans; the structure was created by his father, Iacopo da Candia, a renowned master mason from Pavia.
1968: Precious silver artifacts of Ostrogothic manufacture were found beneath a tomb dated between the 11th and 12th centuries; these are now preserved in the Pavia Civic Museums.
Important spots in the church
The basilica is not just a relic of the past. It is a living monument that preserves layers of history.
Royal coronations: Several monarchs were crowned here, most famously Frederick Barbarossa in 1155, giving the church enduring political and symbolic importance.
Art beneath your feet: The altar floor features marble inlays representing the months of the year, a striking medieval attempt to bind the cycles of time to the sacred liturgy.
Romanesque atmosphere: Visitors can still sense the architectural austerity of Lombard Romanesque in its heavy walls, blind arches, and relatively unadorned interior, which together convey both strength and solemnity.
San Michele Maggiore embodies the essence of Lombard Romanesque architecture: robust, rhythmic, and foundational for the developments that would follow. From its role as the setting of royal coronations to its architectural experiments that paved the way for Gothic grandeur, the basilica stands as both a cultural treasure and a gateway into the medieval imagination.
Reference
Björn Weiler, Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200 (Cambridge University Press, 2021), https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008853; Wikipedia, ‘San Michele Maggiore’, 26 March 2025, https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Michele_Maggiore&oldid=254568277; ‘(PDF) Aesthetics of Romanesque Architecture’, ResearchGate, ahead of print, 5 August 2025, https://doi.org/10.5406/jaesteduc.55.1.0090; ‘Romanesque Architecture: The First Style of the European Age: Journal of the British Archaeological Association: Vol 170 , No 1 – Get Access’, accessed 21 August 2025, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00681288.2017.1366724.